Deaf Ears

July 27, 1986

Kissimmee's nearly all-white city commission said almost nothing in response to black residents' repeated complaints that the city has not made an effort to help them.

That is at the root of the trouble. Blacks have complained about dirt streets, poor street lighting and inadequate recreational services. Not only has Kissimmee done little to solve the problems, the city's elected officials seem not to care.

Consider: If blacks win their five-year-old discrimination suit against the city, Kissimmee will be forced to pave miles of dirt roads in poor neighborhoods. City officials say the suit has no merit, that services have been provided fairly.

But regardless of the outcome, what is critical is that blacks say they sued because no one would listen.

The flap last week over Mayor George Gant's flip suggestion that the city buy predominantly black McLaren Circle and burn it to the ground was one of a series of insulting remarks heard in city hall. All of them have reinforced black perceptions of an indifferent elected body.

The problems are getting worse. Officials should:

Get out of their air-conditioned offices at city hall and meet with blacks in their own neighborhoods. See their problems firsthand. If they cannot be solved, explain why.

-- Establish a storefront police substation in McLaren Circle. Last year's 145 drug busts there are expected to mushroom to 250 this year. So far, city police have been the only government officials to spend any time in the area. -- Discard at-large voting in favor of single-member districts. With only a fraction of the city's black residents registered to vote, they have little hope of representation otherwise.

Finally, a question for the only black ever elected to the city commission: When blacks were shortchanged, when blacks were the target of offensive remarks, when blacks were left out of the process, where was Naomi Winbush?